The present invention relates to a folding portable telephone apparatus having controller, display and operation means for a pocket game and equipped with a pocket game feature besides the radio communications feature.
Recently, a portable telephone apparatus equipped with a simple pocket game feature for the user to enjoy spare time waiting for an incoming time. However, in conventional portable telephone apparatus equipped with a pocket game feature, the pocket game feature was additionally provided as one of the optional features of the portable telephone apparatus. Such portable telephone apparatus had a configuration where operation means of the portable telephone apparatus such as a ten-digit keypad 10, a so-called scroll key 11 and display of the portable telephone apparatus such as a liquid crystal display 8 are used without modification. This configuration was not necessarily easy to handle when compared with a pocket game machine.
The present invention aims at providing folding portable telephone apparatus having the same operability and compact shape (form) and standard features as portable telephone apparatus.
The first aspect of the invention is folding portable telephone apparatus having a folding main body, an antenna, radio communications means, controller, storage means, folding/unfolding state detector, display, operation means, a transmitter and a receiver, wherein the antenna, the radio communications means, the controller, the storage means and the folding/unfolding state detector are embedded in the main body, that the display and the operation means are provided on the outer surface of the main body, and that the transmitter and the receiver are provided on the inner surface of the main body. Via this configuration, the user can play and display a pocket game by using the display and the operation means provided on the outer surface of the main body with the main body folded, and place a call by using the transmitter and the receiver provided on the inner surface of the main body with the main body folded.
The second aspect of the invention is folding portable telephone apparatus according to the first aspect of the invention having controller, display and operation means for a pocket game, wherein the apparatus is adapted to share the display for a pocket game with the display provided on the outer surface of the main body and to share the operation means for a pocket game with the operation means provided on the outer surface of the main body in order to associate operation control of a pocket game and operation control of portable telephone apparatus by way of controller on the folding portable telephone apparatus. Via this configuration, it is possible to provide folding portable telephone apparatus equipped with the operability of a pocket game machine.
The third aspect of the invention is folding portable telephone apparatus according to the second aspect of the invention, wherein a pocket game is automatically suspended on detecting a call incoming signal while the pocket game is in progress. Via this configuration, the user can suspend a pocket game without committing misoperation, annoyed by blinking of a call incoming indicator, ringing or vibration from a vibrator.
The fourth aspect of the invention is folding portable telephone apparatus according to the second aspect of the invention, wherein a pocket game is automatically suspended on detecting the main body being opened while the pocket game is in progress. Via this configuration, the user can suspend a pocket game when the user, noticing incoming of a call, just takes natural action of unfolding the main body.
The fifth aspect of the invention is folding portable telephone apparatus according to the second aspect of the invention, wherein, when the user operates an operation key for a pocket game to continue the pocket game while the apparatus has an incoming call and is rung, a predetermined message is automatically sent to the caller via radio communications means to terminate the call and the pocket game is continued. Via this configuration, the user can send a predetermined message to the caller and continue the pocket game.
The sixth aspect of the invention is folding portable telephone apparatus according to the second aspect of the invention, wherein the apparatus shares a call release key on the operation means provided on the outer surface of the main body with a start key for a pocket game and that, when the call release key is pressed for a shorter period than a predetermined period in the call incoming wait state, the apparatus assumes a push on the start key for a pocket game to make subsequent control. Via this configuration, the user can start a pocket game without having effects on essential features of portable telephone apparatus.